Recently updated on January 14th, 2020 at 04:26 pm
Tony greets his guests on a recent tour in Italy.
Trafalgar’s Tour Directors play a key role in providing each of our guests with a truly memorable experience. From the moment your vacation begins, our Tour Directors share their local knowledge and provide a personalized, one-of-a-kind insider’s view of each destination. They are experienced travelers, learned historians and culture buffs whose job is to help you become immersed in the places you visit.
If you’ve traveled with Trafalgar to Italy, chances are you probably know Antonino “Tony” Cacace. For 10 years he’s been guiding Trafalgar guests through the sites and landmarks of Italy. Tony took a few minutes to talk to the Trafalgar Blog and share some of his experiences as a Tour Director and give some insight to why he loves what he does.
Trafalgar Blog: Which guided vacations do you host?
Tony: Over the years I’ve covered all of Trafalgar’s Italian itineraries. There are over 20 of them, some even include neighboring countries such as Greece and Switzerland.
Trafalgar Blog: Out of these, what is your favorite vacation and why?
Tony: It’s the “Best of Italy” because it shows a variety of areas of the country and at a leisurely pace which gives guests an opportunity to experience more of the destination.
Trafalgar Blog: What is it that you love about being a Trafalgar Tour Director?
Tony: I love being able to travel, enjoy new experiences and always be in contact with different people from all over the world. I love showing our guests the beauty of my country and learning about where they come from too.
Trafalgar Blog: What is your favorite destination/attraction to visit?
Tony: St Mark’s Square at night, because listening to the orchestra playing music in this amazing square makes it really magical.
Trafalgar Blog: What would you say are the most surprising moments for guests while on tour?
Tony: Admiring and visiting some of the sights such as: the Sistine Chapel, the Colosseum, St Mark’s Square, but also our Be My Guest dinners with some of the local people. I also love watching our guests become a family with the other fellow travelers, the driver and myself.
Trafalgar Blog: Our guests have told us they love our Be My Guest program. Can you share a special moment from one of these experiences?
Tony: One day In Florence, we were guests of a family who own this beautiful 18th-century countryside residence in the Chianti hills, and after touring the different rooms and having dinner, the lady of the house decided to let us visit the family chapel where all their important family events take place and which is usually not open to public. Everyone felt really honored to have this opportunity on top of having enjoyed a delicious home-made dinner prepared by the family just for us.
Trafalgar Blog: What is a typical day like in the life of a Tour Director?
Tony: Very busy. We are always thinking about the best way to plan the day and the next days ahead in every detail, so that everyone can achieve what they came for and things can run smoothly. We help those who might have some particular need, we entertain the group with interesting information and stories about the country, the areas we travel through and everyday life events, and we make sure that there are different options, so everyone can choose what is best for them.
Trafalgar Blog: If there is one thing you want your guests to take away from their experience, what would it be?
Tony: To truly learn the realities of the country they are visiting and make sure they don’t miss out on what’s really important. I also hope that by the end of the trip, they’ve realized that traveling with a group is not a limitation, but an opportunity to expand their knowledge at levels they would not reach traveling alone, leaving them with strong connections with people from all over the world.